CHAPTER 4
Serena looked up and saw a man in a police uniform standing before her and she could hear her father's profane protests from upstairs. The officer watched as her father half fell from the top of the stairs. "You little bitch I'll…" He stopped abruptly when he saw the authority that was situated before the front door.
"Sir, I have received complaints about your behavior from anonymous witnesses. Is this man your father?" The officer turned to Serena who was still bleeding.
"Y-yes, sir."
"Did he do this to you?" The man gestured to her plentiful bruises and wounds and spoke softly.
Serena could only nod.
"Why, officer, she told me she fell down these stairs before I got home from…" Her father tried to cover up his nasty deeds, but the officer interrupted.
"Sir, you are under arrest for child abuse and…"
"I-I didn't do it! Serena, Serena, tell the nice man that you fell. Tell him what you told me!"
Serena's face was impassive.
"Sir, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say or do…"
"I didn't! I didn't!" The criminal shrieked as he was hauled off to the patrol car.
Sammy came down the stairs and stared in terror. "What did you do!" He screamed at Serena.
"I didn't do anything. I don't know who called them…"
"That's bullshit! I know you did!"
"I said I didn't! Besides, aren't you glad they finally came? He saved us. They never arrested him before because he threatened mom so she would keep her mouth shut. He caught Dad bad mouthing me and saw my beatings. They believe us now, Sammy. Maybe he'll go to jail; he deserves to." Serena snapped.
Serena knew who had called the police. He was the only one who knew about the abuse; everyone else thought they were an average family. Their friends knew there were some problems, but they didn't know to what degree.
Serena left the house and went over to Darien's. She heard some rummaging in his garage.
"Serena!" Darien called from inside.
"Thank you, Dare."
"You're welcome. I heard everything from here. I can't believe they actually arrested him. I thought they would just come over and patrol or something. Or send some social worker." Darien fiddled with a car part he held in his hand. He walked over to her, "You're free, Sere."
But Serena didn't feel free. She wasn't free from her mind, which remembered every second of her life, and made here relive the horror she experienced. She was physically free, but not mentally. "Thanks, Dare." She said reluctantly; he didn't notice her tone, he was just glad she was safe for the time being.
A WEEK LATER…
Serena walked out of the court beside her brother. Their case had been brought to the courts and her father was now on trial for child abuse, and various other charges. "Serena Tsukino?" A woman fell into step beside the blonde girl.
"Yes."
The woman pulled out a badge. "I'm with the police department and social services, and I need to take you down to the station. It's about you're mother."
Sammy and Serena stopped unexpectedly. "What do you know about her?" Sammy demanded.
"I know about as much as you do. They haven't found her, they just need information to help discover her whereabouts."
Serena sighed. Her mother had been filed under "missing people" as of the day after her father was arrested.
The two went with the lady, and were approached by an investigator at the station. "I'm Private Investigator Lees, and I'm helping on the search for your mother." He said when they sat down in his grey office.
"She hasn't made any transactions on her credit card, nor has there been any sign of her, so far, at least. We're doing the best we can." The medium build man said as he stroked his goatee.
'No you're not,' Serena thought to herself. She wanted just to be back at Darien's, where her and her brother were staying, and have a nice hot shower. She wanted to pretend her life was perfect just for a few moments and leave her pain. Somehow she felt like the water would wash the hurt away.
"Here's my card if you need it. We'll give you a call if anything new transpires." Lees handed them a crisp white card with his name embossed in gold. Serena thought about ripping it and dropping it back in his desk, but decided to contain herself instead.
Serena managed a painful smile as they left. All her anger and stress made her feel like she had a knot in her torso that would soon detonate.
AU: Hey everyone! Sorry it took me a while to post chapter 4, Fanfiction wasn't working, plus I've been studying for exams. You know the drill, 5 reviews. And thank you all for reading and reviewing! OH and I NEED some feedback, should I have a chapter (or part of one) as the court scene, like where some of the characters go on the witness stand and stuff, or should I leave that out? Thanx!!
Serena looked up and saw a man in a police uniform standing before her and she could hear her father's profane protests from upstairs. The officer watched as her father half fell from the top of the stairs. "You little bitch I'll…" He stopped abruptly when he saw the authority that was situated before the front door.
"Sir, I have received complaints about your behavior from anonymous witnesses. Is this man your father?" The officer turned to Serena who was still bleeding.
"Y-yes, sir."
"Did he do this to you?" The man gestured to her plentiful bruises and wounds and spoke softly.
Serena could only nod.
"Why, officer, she told me she fell down these stairs before I got home from…" Her father tried to cover up his nasty deeds, but the officer interrupted.
"Sir, you are under arrest for child abuse and…"
"I-I didn't do it! Serena, Serena, tell the nice man that you fell. Tell him what you told me!"
Serena's face was impassive.
"Sir, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say or do…"
"I didn't! I didn't!" The criminal shrieked as he was hauled off to the patrol car.
Sammy came down the stairs and stared in terror. "What did you do!" He screamed at Serena.
"I didn't do anything. I don't know who called them…"
"That's bullshit! I know you did!"
"I said I didn't! Besides, aren't you glad they finally came? He saved us. They never arrested him before because he threatened mom so she would keep her mouth shut. He caught Dad bad mouthing me and saw my beatings. They believe us now, Sammy. Maybe he'll go to jail; he deserves to." Serena snapped.
Serena knew who had called the police. He was the only one who knew about the abuse; everyone else thought they were an average family. Their friends knew there were some problems, but they didn't know to what degree.
Serena left the house and went over to Darien's. She heard some rummaging in his garage.
"Serena!" Darien called from inside.
"Thank you, Dare."
"You're welcome. I heard everything from here. I can't believe they actually arrested him. I thought they would just come over and patrol or something. Or send some social worker." Darien fiddled with a car part he held in his hand. He walked over to her, "You're free, Sere."
But Serena didn't feel free. She wasn't free from her mind, which remembered every second of her life, and made here relive the horror she experienced. She was physically free, but not mentally. "Thanks, Dare." She said reluctantly; he didn't notice her tone, he was just glad she was safe for the time being.
A WEEK LATER…
Serena walked out of the court beside her brother. Their case had been brought to the courts and her father was now on trial for child abuse, and various other charges. "Serena Tsukino?" A woman fell into step beside the blonde girl.
"Yes."
The woman pulled out a badge. "I'm with the police department and social services, and I need to take you down to the station. It's about you're mother."
Sammy and Serena stopped unexpectedly. "What do you know about her?" Sammy demanded.
"I know about as much as you do. They haven't found her, they just need information to help discover her whereabouts."
Serena sighed. Her mother had been filed under "missing people" as of the day after her father was arrested.
The two went with the lady, and were approached by an investigator at the station. "I'm Private Investigator Lees, and I'm helping on the search for your mother." He said when they sat down in his grey office.
"She hasn't made any transactions on her credit card, nor has there been any sign of her, so far, at least. We're doing the best we can." The medium build man said as he stroked his goatee.
'No you're not,' Serena thought to herself. She wanted just to be back at Darien's, where her and her brother were staying, and have a nice hot shower. She wanted to pretend her life was perfect just for a few moments and leave her pain. Somehow she felt like the water would wash the hurt away.
"Here's my card if you need it. We'll give you a call if anything new transpires." Lees handed them a crisp white card with his name embossed in gold. Serena thought about ripping it and dropping it back in his desk, but decided to contain herself instead.
Serena managed a painful smile as they left. All her anger and stress made her feel like she had a knot in her torso that would soon detonate.
AU: Hey everyone! Sorry it took me a while to post chapter 4, Fanfiction wasn't working, plus I've been studying for exams. You know the drill, 5 reviews. And thank you all for reading and reviewing! OH and I NEED some feedback, should I have a chapter (or part of one) as the court scene, like where some of the characters go on the witness stand and stuff, or should I leave that out? Thanx!!